Stella Etc facts for kids

The Stella Etc. book series tells the story of a girl named Stella and her adventures. Written by British author Karen McCombie, these books were published between 2004 and 2007. An omnibus edition, which combines several books, came out in 2010.

Meet Stella and Her World

Stella is the main character in this fun series. She moves from busy London to a quiet seaside town called Portbay. This means leaving her old friends and even a crush behind. Stella lives with her family, including her twin brothers, Jamie and Jake.

Stella is a very friendly girl. She always gives people a chance, no matter what they've been like before. She loves making new friends, and in each book, a new friend joins her group. Stella has brown hair, freckles, and sometimes stutters.

Peaches the Mysterious Cat

A strange ginger cat named Peaches often appears throughout the series. Peaches gives Stella mysterious signs and brings the smell of peaches and cream. This cat adds a touch of magic to Stella's adventures.

The Secret of Joseph's House

As the series goes on, Stella starts to uncover secrets. These secrets are about a place called Joseph's House. She also learns about a servant named Joseph and his best friend, Elize Grainger.

The Books in the Series

Here are the books in the Stella Etc. series, each telling a new part of Stella's journey:

• Frankie, Peaches and Me (2004): Shy Stella moves to Portbay, leaving her friends and crush in London. She struggles to make new friends but finds secrets in Joseph's House. She also meets a friendly ginger cat named Peaches. When her best friend Frankie visits, Stella learns a shocking secret. They work things out, and Stella starts to like Portbay.

• Sweet-Talking TJ (2004): Stella thinks she has found a new friend in TJ, a boy her age. They get along well, but TJ is afraid to stand up to his bully friends. TJ steals Stella's phone because of a dare. They have a small fight, but later become good friends when TJ leaves his "meathead" friends.

• Meet the Real World, Rachel (2004): Rachel Riley, who hasn't always been kind, finds her life changed when she discovers she has epilepsy. Her friends turn against her. Even though Rachel was never nice to Stella, Stella feels for her and tries to be her friend. With Stella and TJ's help, Rachel learns to deal with her condition.

• Truly, Madly, Megan (2005): Stella, TJ, and Rachel become friends with Megan, who is on holiday. Megan often takes the blame for things her older sister, Naomi, does. Stella and her friends find out that Naomi is secretly dating Rachel's older brother, Si, and getting into trouble. Naomi blames Megan for something she did. With help from Stella and her friends, Megan proves to her parents that Naomi was not telling the truth.

• Amber and the Hot Pepper Jelly (2005): Stella meets Amber, a shy waitress, and thinks she could be a new friend. Amber seems unsure about being friends and tells stories about being sick, which makes Rachel angry. Amber later admits she made up a story about having a date for a wedding. Stella and her friends accept Amber as their friend. Rachel's brother, Si, goes to the wedding with Amber. Also, the Shingle Cafe in the story gets a new name: the Hot Pepper Jelly.

• Twists, Turns and 100% Tilda (2006): Stella and her friends find mysterious notes around town. They think Tilda and Si are behind them, and they are right. Most of the friends don't want to be friends with Tilda, but Stella is always willing to give people a chance. Tilda is jealous of Amber, thinking she likes Si. Eventually, they all accept Tilda as a friend.

• Forever and Ever and Evie (2007): Stella visits London during the holidays and sees her old friends. Things get tricky when Stella searches for her granddad, and Frankie's boyfriend, Seb (Stella's old crush), wants to help. Stella feels distant from her London friends as she spends more time with Seb and texts her Portbay friends. Frankie gets upset with Stella, thinking Seb likes Stella. They have a big argument, but become friends again after Stella shows that Seb does not like her. Stella also finds her granddad.

• Extra Special Stella Etc (2010): This is a special edition that includes two novels in one book. It starts with Stella and her family moving from London to the quiet seaside town of Portbay. She has to leave her best friend Frankie and the boy she liked behind.